🔊 Will we see Chelsea in the Club World Cup final? The London side have two hurdles to clear before reaching the decisive stage. The first challenge awaits in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field, where Chelsea face Brazil's Palmeiras in a battle for a semifinal spot. Awaiting the winner will be either Fluminense or Al-Hilal. Bookmakers tip the nominal visitors from London as favorites, but is it really that straightforward? When making a prediction, one must consider the strong performances of Brazilian clubs in the tournament—they have impressed with their organized play and high intensity.

Head-to-Head

📊 The clubs have faced each other only once, during the final of the old-format FIFA Club World Cup in 2022. Chelsea emerged victorious after 120 minutes with a 2-1 scoreline. Goals for the London side came from Romelu Lukaku and Kai Havertz, both of whom are no longer part of the club's setup. Palmeiras' attacking midfielder Raphael Veiga, who still plays for the "Verdao," found the back of the net for his team.

Palmeiras Team Overview

🟢 The club from São Paulo delivered an outstanding performance, topping Group A against the likes of Inter Miami, Porto, and Al-Ahli. In the playoffs, the "green and whites" faced another impressive Brazilian side, Botafogo. Abel Ferreira's team dominated the match, yet Palmeiras couldn't break through in regular time, pushing the game into an additional 30 minutes.

⚪ In the 100th minute, following a well-orchestrated positional attack, winger Paulinho received the ball on the right flank. His brilliant solo run into the box concluded with a superb "billiard" shot into the far bottom corner of Botafogo's net. After this, Palmeiras retreated to their half, focusing on solid defense to maintain their lead until the final whistle. They succeeded, but not without setbacks: central defender and team captain Gustavo Gomez was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a foul in midfield. Nonetheless, the crucial result was achieved, and Palmeiras rightfully advanced to the quarterfinals (1-0).

Chelsea Team Overview

🔵 Under the guidance of Enzo Maresca, the players progressed from Group D despite a 3-1 loss to Flamengo. However, victories over Los Angeles (2-0) and Esperance (3-0) secured them the second spot. In the round of 16, the Blues faced Portugal's Benfica, who topped their group. The first half lacked significant chances, ending in a 0-0 stalemate. It wasn't until midway through the second half that spectators witnessed the breakthrough—a clever set-piece from Chelsea captain Reece James converted into a crafty low shot, deceiving the Portuguese goalkeeper.

⚪ As the match neared its conclusion, with just five minutes remaining before the final whistle, the referee halted play due to adverse weather conditions. Both teams headed to the dressing rooms, waiting for the chance to resume. After over an hour of delay, play resumed, but in the 91st minute, a handball by Malo Gusto in the penalty area resulted in a penalty for Benfica. They leveled the score, leading to an additional 30 minutes of play. The Blues gained a numerical advantage after a Benfica player was sent off for a foul on Levi Colwill. Capitalizing on the dismissal and their opponents' fatigue, Chelsea scored three goals in the second extra time period—courtesy of Nkunku, Neto, and Dewsbury-Hall. This emphatic victory propelled Chelsea into the quarterfinals with a 4-1 win.

Latest news

Palmeiras

🎙 Here's what the Portuguese coach said after reaching the quarter-finals: "Never give up and never back down – that's the principle we constantly reinforce. I told the guys: if we play like we train, this match will be better than the last. We put on a great performance. When we had to suffer, we did it together. Even when down a man. We earned this victory through hard work. Now we're here and we'll fight to the end for our dream."

🔝 Colombian central midfielder for Palmeiras, Richard Rios, has been named in the Team of the Week for the Club World Cup following the first stage of the playoffs.

🔗 A symbolic moment might occur in the clash between Palmeiras and Chelsea. The young winger from the Brazilian club, Estevao, is set to officially join the London side after the Club World Cup. This can happen in two ways: either Palmeiras lose to Chelsea, allowing Estevao to head to England immediately, or the Brazilians defeat their opponents, and the player joins the Blues after his current team's tournament run concludes.

📉 The statistical company Opta has assessed Palmeiras' chances of winning the Club World Cup at 2.93%, placing the Brazilian club seventh among all participants.

❌ The upcoming match promises to be particularly challenging for the team due to the absence of two central defenders: Murilo is sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained against Inter Miami, while captain Gustavo Gomez will miss the game due to a red card received in the match against Botafogo.

Chelsea

🎙 Enzo Maresca shared his thoughts on the result against Benfica: "I'm proud of this performance. However, for me, the performance ended in the 85th minute. Then the match was halted, and after the break, it felt like an entirely new game started. Waiting over an hour to resume play isn't easy, but we kept going, and I believe the reward was well-deserved. We're among the top eight teams in the Club World Cup, and we're very pleased."

🔝 Reece James and Cole Palmer made it into the Club World Cup Team of the Week. Pedro Neto has netted three goals and is his team's top scorer in the tournament. He will continue to compete for the top scorer accolade, especially since the current leader, Ángel Di María, has already exited the tournament.

📉 Following their victory over Benfica, Opta rates the Blues' chances of clinching the trophy as the highest at 26.44%.

📝 Chelsea have signed Brighton's forward João Pedro for £60 million and have registered him for the Club World Cup, as player registration for the tournament remains open until July 3rd. Additionally, according to insider Fabrizio Romano, a deal to bring Jamie Bynoe-Gittens from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea is complete, despite Bayern's attempts to swoop in.

❌ Defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo will miss the match against Palmeiras due to an accumulation of yellow cards. According to some sources, another defensive midfielder, Romeo Lavia, hasn't trained for two days. The status of center-back Benoît Badiashile also remains uncertain.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The referee for the match is Iranian Alireza Faghani, who averages 4.2 yellow cards per game. In Palmeiras' last four matches, an average of 6 cautions were issued per game – with both the Brazilian club and their opponents receiving 3 yellow cards each. For Chelsea matches, the average was 5 cautions: 1.8 for the "Blues" and 3.2 for their opponents.

Given this data, it makes sense to consider a bet on the total yellow cards over 4. Both teams boast talented attacking players capable of drawing fouls through their high level of individual skill. The quarter-final stage leaves no room for errors, so tactical fouls to slow down the opponent's attacks are highly likely.

⚽ Goal Predictions

It's important to highlight Palmeiras' defensive prowess – they kept clean sheets in three of their four tournament matches. However, they haven't yet faced an opponent of Chelsea's caliber during this American tour.

Considering the absence of two key central defenders for Palmeiras, including their captain, it's reasonable to consider a bet on Chelsea's individual total over 1 goal. The Londoners' attack is packed with top-tier talent capable of creating and converting chances. Additionally, their previous match demonstrated Chelsea's ability to capitalize on set pieces.

🚩 Corner Predictions

In matches involving both Palmeiras and Chelsea, the average number of corner kicks exceeded 8.5. For the Brazilians, this figure stands at 11.8 per game, while for the Londoners, it's 8.5. Both teams typically deliver more corners than their opponents.

In the upcoming match, we don't recommend betting on one side to win the corner battle – the stats are too evenly matched. Instead, a bet on total corners over 8.5 seems logical, considering both teams' active attacking play.

Palmeiras have made an impressive run to the final, but their tournament journey might take a turn towards Brazil after facing Chelsea – Abel Ferreira's side has yet to encounter an opponent of this caliber. Yes, Chelsea have previously fallen to a Brazilian club in this tournament, but that was during the group stage when the Blues hadn't yet hit their stride like they have now. Scoring four goals against Benfica in the playoffs is a feat not many can achieve.

Both teams had to play extra time in their previous matches, but while Chelsea confidently overcame the Portuguese side, Palmeiras struggled to edge past Botafogo in overtime. It's quite possible that the Verdão might not have enough left in the tank for another intense battle. Although Palmeiras have kept three clean sheets in the tournament, maintaining a shutout will be extremely challenging without two key center-backs, including captain Gustavo Gómez.

We agree with the bookmakers that Chelsea are the favorites in this matchup and suggest considering a bet on the Londoners to win with a (0) handicap. Our predicted scoreline is a 2-0 victory for Enzo Maresca's team.